Wild Mushroom Soup with Horseradish Cream

Preparation In a frying pan or skillet, sweat the onion, celery, and leek in some of the butter over low heat until soft. Add the morels to the pan. Continue to cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender. Don't be tempted to thin the liquid down too much, as the finished soup should be fairly thick. Keep hot. Make the horseradish cream by mixing the horseradish with the sour cream and some pepper. Melt a little butter in a frying pan and quickly fry the porcini mushrooms. Add the parsley, toss together and then strain through a fine-mesh sieve to drain off the butter. To serve, adjust the soup's seasoning with salt and pepper and serve in deep bowls with some of the sauteed porcini mushrooms and a dollop of horseradish cream in the middle. Reprinted with permission from Australian Food: In Celebration of the New Australian Cuisine by Alan Saunders, ©1999, by Alan Saunders, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, California

Preparation In a frying pan or skillet, sweat the onion, celery, and leek in some of the butter over low heat until soft. Add the morels to the pan. Continue to cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender. Don't be tempted to thin the liquid down too much, as the finished soup should be fairly thick. Keep hot. Make the horseradish cream by mixing the horseradish with the sour cream and some pepper. Melt a little butter in a frying pan and quickly fry the porcini mushrooms. Add the parsley, toss together and then strain through a fine-mesh sieve to drain off the butter. To serve, adjust the soup's seasoning with salt and pepper and serve in deep bowls with some of the sauteed porcini mushrooms and a dollop of horseradish cream in the middle. Reprinted with permission from Australian Food: In Celebration of the New Australian Cuisine by Alan Saunders, ©1999, by Alan Saunders, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, California